URL shortening can be helpful when sharing a website for collaboration. For example, a Google Documents site created for gathering input can have a long cryptic URL. Using a URL shortening application will allow you to create a custom URL which is easier to share. Read more on URL shortening at wikipedia.
In Tiny URL or Bit.ly shorten the URL and while you could use the provided shortened URL, why not create your own custom alias using a term which makes more sense to your students.
URL Shortening
URL shortening can be helpful when sharing a website for collaboration. For example, a Google Documents site created for gathering input can have a long cryptic URL. Using a URL shortening application will allow you to create a custom URL which is easier to share. Read more on URL shortening at wikipedia.Practice
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/New_MMC_one_pager_11.15.06_183755_7.pdf
Example
http://docs.google.com/View?id=ddgrkk3d_82hfnnn6fris shortened to: http://bit.ly/xmastraditions
URL Shortening Websites
http://tinyurl.comhttp://bit.ly
Comprehensive list of more than 100 URL shortener sites